Jahyae Brown is not going to let one defeat deter him from his goal of being the best at 154 pounds. 

Brown will face Victor Toney tonight at the Chelsea Ballroom inside The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada. The eight-round bout will take place in preliminary action prior to tonight’s DAZN telecast, headlined by the main event between cruiserweights Gilberto Ramirez and Joe Smith.

The 24-year-old Brown (13-1, 9 knockouts), who resides in Schenectady, New York, last fought on April 7, losing by majority decision to Guido Schramm in a clash of unbeaten junior middleweights. 

The fight took place on a ShoBox telecast. 

Brown makes no excuses from the loss to Schramm, and while he hopes to fight a rematch against him, has moved on with his career and is awaiting another meaningful opportunity after tonight’s fight against Toney.

“I just need to be smarter in taking fights,” Brown told BoxingScene earlier this week. “I took the fight on two weeks’ notice. I probably shouldn’t have taken the fight, considering I was not at 100 percent. I dominated the first half of the fight and Guido dominated the second half of the fight.”

Brown will face an opponent in Toney (7-2-1, 6 KOs), a hard-hitting puncher who has had mixed results over the last several months. Brown hopes to get rounds in, but looks to make a statement at the expense of Toney, if given the opportunity.

“I definitely want to get the rounds in,” said Toney, who is promoted by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and is managed by Rudy Contreras. “He’s a good fighter. There’s nothing wrong with making a statement. If the knockout comes, it comes. I need to be smart and not rush it. If the knockout comes my way, I’m going to capitalize on it.”

Whether it is fighting on a ShoBox card or in Colombia, Brown has been grateful for any opportunity. A statement win tonight could lead to bigger platforms later this year or in 2024. 

Brown hopes to land a major platform and perform the way Devin Haney did on his path to becoming the undisputed lightweight champion.

“I’m always blessed and thankful,” said Brown. “Whether it’s on DAZN or on another Golden Boy card, I want to position myself to end up fighting again against a top fighter. The same way Devin Haney made a statement is the same thing I want to do. I would like to fight again and I hope Star Boxing can make that happen.”

In hopes of sharpening his skill-set, Brown has been sparring the likes of Vito Mielnicki, Jr., Shinard Bunch, Troy Isley, and Montana Love. 

Brown has also sparred and received guidance from former IBF world junior lightweight titleholder Tevin Farmer. The two have worked together and Brown has gained greater insight in the sport from spending time with Farmer.

He hopes to continue learning and making progress in the sport.

“I’ve learned a lot against those I spar. Talking to Tevin puts things in perspective. He tells me a lot about minding my P’s and Q’s. He’s made me realize how to work my offense. He always tells me to believe in myself and to listen to my coach. 

“It’s made a difference.”

Francisco A. Salazar has written for BoxingScene since September 2012 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He can be reached by email at santio89@yahoo.com or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing